


About Three Years Later...

by actualbabe



Series: Lawyer AU [2]
Category: New Girl
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Happy Anniversary!, Lawyer Nick AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-20 11:55:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19376209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualbabe/pseuds/actualbabe
Summary: Nick and Jess celebrate their 1 year wedding anniversary.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Can you believe it's been a year since In Another World/the lawyer au was finished? Me neither. 
> 
> Let's see what these crazy kids have been up to...

Nick gets home late on Friday night, much later than he normally does. They just hired a new batch of summer associates at the firm, and they decided to have a happy hour after work to celebrate their successful first week. Nick had intended to stay for just one drink, but Tran made a surprise appearance and managed to reel him in for another round. It's been about two years since the old man retired, and while he swears that he’ll still be around for while, Nick knows not to let these moments slip by.

“Jess?” he calls softly for her as he sneaks in front door to the loft, dropping his briefcase and keys on the table by the door. “You still up, honey?”

He tugs his tie loose as he rounds the corner to their bedroom, where he finds his wife lying in bed and surrounded by several stacks of paperwork, her head lolled back in sleep as she snores softly. Nick smiles at her as he kicks off his shoes and shrugs out of his jacket. He presses his lips to her forehead before carefully rearranging her papers into a stack on the floor and turning off the flashlight attached to the visor on her head.

Nick quickly ducks into the bathroom to brush his teeth before returning to their bedroom. He pulls off his dress shirt and slacks before climbing into bed alongside Jess. As he starts to settle under the covers she reaches out for him, still fast asleep, her arm clumsily swatting the mattress until it lands on his chest. Once she’s found him, Jess rolls over and burrows into his chest, her face tucked up against his collarbone and her arms wrapped tight around his middle. 

He chuckles to himself as he drapes his arm over her waist. No matter how late he ends up coming to bed, Jess always does this. It’s comforting every time, however little the gesture may seem. With Caroline it often felt like they were worlds apart, even lying right beside each other. But with Jess she won’t let him drift away, instead she always goes the extra effort to bridge the gap and be with him, and he does his best to do the same to her. 

Nick smiles down at Jess and presses another soft kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

\---

Jess wakes up early the next morning with Nick plastered to her back, his breath warm against her neck and one his broad hands tucked up underneath her pajama top. She hums contentedly and nestles back into him, hoping to catch a few more moments of shut eye before she starts her day. It’s a rarity for them to have a morning just to themselves without any pressing matters that need attending to.

"'Morning," Nick mumbles in her ear, voice rough with sleep.

"Good morning," she replies quietly as Nick gently presses his lips to her neck. "Happy anniversary."

She can feel his smile against her neck as his fingers flex against her bare stomach. Jess turns to face him, shifting her hands to rest them at the dip of his lower back. His hand slides over the crest of her hip to rest on her waist, drawing lazy circles against her skin.

"Happy anniversary," he returns, his grin wide and eyes sparkling, slight creases at the corners that betray his age.

Jess yawns, arching into him as she stretches out a kink in her neck. "What time did you get in last night?"

"Late," Nick replies apologetically. "Tran made an appearance and managed to reel me in for another round."

"Hmm," she hums again, slowly dragging her fingers up and down the bottom curve of his spine. "I tried to wait up for you, but obviously that didn't work out."

Nick chuckles to himself. "You were passed out among a bunch of paperwork when I walked in."

"Oh, great," Jess huffs. "Well that plan obviously backfired, then."

He laughs again, soft in the early morning hour. "You're stealing moves out of my playbook, huh Day?"

She giggles in agreement, "Maybe so."

Nick smiles at her for a moment, shuffling his other hand out from underneath her to cradle her cheek, thumb softly stroking over the curve of it. She adores moments like this, little pockets of time where the worry lines disappear from his face and Nick truly relaxes into her touch. There's admiration shimmering in his features, and it makes her stutter in her chest, just like it did the very first time. 

She leans in to kiss him, morning breath be damned, and Nick eagerly returns the kiss, his fingers sliding back to get tangled in her hair. Jess dips her fingers under the elastic waistband of his boxers and Nick hums in approval as he opens his mouth to deepen the kiss.

Jess can feel the spark of want bubbling up in the pit of her stomach as their early-morning makeout session continues. She arches into him and she can feel Nick' arousal through his boxers, drawing a soft moan out of her in response. He eases her into his lap before gently pulling her pajama top over her head, and Jess lets out another moan as the feel of his hands caressing her breasts.

It's only a matter of moments before they're fully undressed and Jess is lowering herself down onto him with a breathy sigh of pleasure. Nick's hands hold her hips steady as he groans out her name, and Jess leans down close to kiss him as she slowly builds them up to finish together, her hair falling around them like a dark curtain.

_ "I love you,"  _ Nick whispers, voice wavering with the words as rubs his thumb firmly over her clit. The intensity of it sends a shock through her system and Jess comes with a shuddering gasp. Nick quickly follows after her, clutching at her tangled hair like a lifeline as he gasps her name against her neck.

Jess curls up on top of him afterwards, her head tucked into the slope of his shoulder as Nick rubs soothing circles over her back. She presses a series of butterfly-light kisses on his neck and Nick hums in appreciation. 

"I love you," she whispers back, her lips brushing over the stubble of his jaw before Nick tilts his head to seal her words with a kiss.

\--- 

A short while later they finally manage to make it out of bed, solely motivated by hunger and the need to brush their teeth. Jess makes them breakfast while wearing one of his shirts, the worn fabric loose on her shoulders. Nick makes an attempt to help her with the preparation, but he keeps finding himself distracted by her wardrobe and the way the shirt occasionally rides up to expose the pink fabric of her panties. He can't seem to keep his hands off her, but who can really blame him? 

Jess lets him get away with it until he distracts her so much that she nearly burns the eggs, too busy sliding his hands up the smooth length of her thighs to pay any attention to the fact that the burner was still on high heat. She shoos him off to wait at the kitchen island, just out of reach but still close enough to enjoy the show. After a few more moments of teasing she finally joins him, and there's a mischievous quirk of her smile that makes him realize that this has all been a part of her master plan to get him riled up for round two after they've finished eating.

"So," she asks, her tone a false casual that's betrayed by the excited twinkle in her eye. "When are we doing gifts?"

"I don't know, depends on how good yours is," he teases.

Jess laughs. "After breakfast, then?"

Nick grins at her. "Sure."

They finish breakfast and wash up, the two of them clustered around the sink as they tag-team on doing the dishes. Occasionally Jess will jokingly bump her hip into his, and he returns the favor just to hear her giggle. Jess hums under her breath, some song that’s familiar from the radio but he doesn’t know the lyrics to. He jokingly grabs her hand and spins her around in a twirl, and Jess laughs again, bright and vibrant. He never gets tired of her laugh. 

Once they’re done in the kitchen, they retreat back down the hallway of the loft to fish their gifts out of their respective hiding spots. Nick’s small box is tucked away in his office, hidden in the back drawer of his desk and buried in a stack of old depositions. He runs into Jess just outside the door to their room, where she’s pulling a lumpy package out from a box on the very top shelf of their laundry closet. The size of it makes Nick nervous, especially when he glances down at the gift in his hand. 

What if she hates it? What if it’s not enough for her? What if she comes to her senses and realizes that she could do way better than him? He knows that he’s being irrational, but their first anniversary is a big deal, and the last thing he wants is to screw it up.

“Here.” He offers up her gift once they’ve settled on the bed, trying to calm down his racing thoughts. “You go first.”

“Thank you.” Jess is grinning wide with excitement as she gingerly picks it up out of his hands.

Nick’s stomach is a tangle of nerves as he watches Jess comically give the box a little shake. He worries his lower lip between his teeth as he watches her carefully peel the wrapping paper away. Her jokey grin falters as she slides out the dark box and starts to realize exactly what it is. She carefully opens the lid of the jewelry box and her eyes widen in surprise as she reveals what’s inside.

“Oh my god,  _ Nick _ .” Jess’ eyes are shimmering as she looks up from the diamond bracelet and back at him.  _ “Nick. _ This is...”

“I thought it would look nice with your engagement ring,” he explains sheepishly. It took him  _ ages _ to pick out just the right gift for their anniversary, long enough that he was sure the salesman was barely an inch away from giving up the commission just for the satisfaction of finally throwing him out of the store. Cost him a pretty penny, but it’s  _ Jess _ , and the look on her face makes it worth every penny.

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” She leans in to kiss him, her hand cradling his jaw. He can feel her smiling against his lips, and it sparks a warm feeling in his chest that makes his heart beat a touch faster.

“Alright, my turn.”

“Well, it’s not...” she trails off, suddenly uncharacteristically unsure of herself. “And, um, if you don’t like it then just tell me, and I’ll get you something else-”

“It’s from you. Of course I’ll like it,” he insists, tearing away the wrappings with none of the meticulous care she had a few moments earlier.

Nick tears away the second layer of tissue paper to reveal a dark green sweater with an intricate and complicated pattern of overlapping braids on the sleeves and front. He carefully lifts it out of the wrapping to trace his fingers over the twisting cables when he notices the tag on the collar.

_Made with Love!_ _J-Day <3_

“Did you make this?” he asks in awe.

“Yeah,” Jess says softly. 

He reverently runs his thumbs over the fabric, his head trying to catch up to a magnitude of the gift she’s given him. “Jess, this is amazing.”

The worry disappears from her face as she grins brightly at him. “You like it?”

“Yes.” Nick hauls her in for another kiss, and that warmth in his heart doubles, sending sparks all the way to the tips of his fingers. “I love you so much.”

Jess grins brightly at him, luminescent in the sunlight streaming in through the windows. “I love you, too.”


	2. Chapter 2

After exchanging gifts they make love again, slow and gentle and unhurried, Nick thrusting into her with purposeful rolls of his hips that have Jess moaning his name and begging for more. She can feel him smiling against her neck as he continues to tease her, hands wandering over her curves as he continues his achingly slow rhythm until she finally comes apart with a gasp. They cuddle for a while afterwards, Nick still settled between her legs and his face pressed between her breasts. Jess gently scratches her fingers over his scalp, eyes contentedly drifting closed as Nick whispers sweet nothings against her skin.

She eventually manages to convince him to leave their bed and they clean up to go downtown and wander around the farmer’s market before it closes. Nick insists on wearing his new sweater, despite Jess' insistence that he's just going to sweat clean through it. But she doesn't fight too hard against it, because he looks  _ good _ in it, and it makes all those late nights and painstaking rows of seed stitch worth it. Her heart stutters at the pride and love evident in his face as he tugs it over his head, and Jess can't help but haul him in for a kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck as she draws it out, reveling in the feel of Nick's lips against her own and his hands steady on her lower back.

Once they finally manage to make it downtown, Jess links her arm in Nick’s as they pass through the different booths, the weather surprisingly pleasant for September in LA. It’s nice to have a day all to themselves, and Nick put a firm hold on his work calendar to make sure that they wouldn’t be interrupted. He’s much better at maintaining a healthy work-life balance ever since he started working for Tran, but there’s no denying that his line of work is still incredibly demanding. It makes days like this even more special, to know that Nick purposefully set aside his incredibly expensive time to really be with her. 

They stop to sample some local cheeses, and Jess’ eye catches on a young girl cheering from the comfort of her stroller at one of the booth owners blowing bubbles her direction. The corners of her lips quirk up at the quaint scene, the little girl grinning brightly with her gap-toothed baby teeth. It tugs at the pit of her gut, reawakening a deeply felt desire that she's been trying to hold at bay for a long while.

“You know, if all food was on toothpicks, there would be no war,” Nick jokes, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Jess turns back to Nick, who’s looking at her expectantly, like when he tells some kind of lawyer-humor joke that just doesn’t quite land. She forces a half-hearted laugh. “Oh, yeah, for sure.”

Nick smiles warmly at her, not seeming to notice her slip up. Jess smiles back and lets him lead the way to the next booth. She briefly glances over her shoulder where the young girl’s mother is now crouched beside her, talking to her daughter encouragingly as she points out the floating bubbles. It draws an involuntary sigh out of her, a too-familiar longing blooming in her stomach.

“Everything alright?”

“What?” Jess guiltily looks back to Nick, feeling like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“We just walked past a hand-dyed yarn booth and you didn’t even give them a glance,” Nick explains, calling her bluff from earlier. “What are you thinking about?”

For a moment Jess thinks about trying to brush it off, but at this point Nick knows her too well for her lies to hold up under his scrutiny. That’s what she gets for marrying a lawyer. Well. It’s now or never. Might as well rip off the bandaid and just get it over with. “I was thinking about kids,” she admits. “Us. Having kids.”

“Oh.” His expression is completely, terrifyingly unreadable.

“I know we’ve talked about it before,” she explains quickly. “And we were on the same page and everything. But I don’t know, it just popped up, and it’s been a while since we last talked it over and it is kind of a time sensitive issue.” Jess cuts off her own rambling, very much aware that she's only digging herself deeper into this hole.

Nick nods, but he doesn’t say anything in response, which doesn’t help suffocate the panic slowly rising in her chest. 

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought this up,” Jess apologizes, suddenly feeling guilty for pulling up this complicated argument completely out of the blue. They were having a perfectly lovely morning and afternoon and now she’s gone and ruined it. “Today’s our anniversary, we shouldn’t be-”

“No. No, Jess,” Nick interrupts, his response loosening the grip of panic around her heart. “It’s okay. Of course we should talk about it.”

Jess feels a slight bit of relief. “Right.”

“Maybe tomorrow?” he offers as a compromise. "When we're in private?"

“Yes, that’s great.” Jess nods in agreement. This is good. They’re going to talk about it, which she’s been meaning to bring up for a while now, but they can still enjoy the rest of their uncomplicated plans to celebrate the day. Nick gives her arm a reassuring squeeze and Jess smiles up at him before returning the gesture.

\---

They get home from the farmer's market around noon, and Nick makes them sandwiches with their fresh bread while Jess assembles a salad that he eats only because he loves her a whole lot. Her new bracelet is sparkling on her wrist, and Nick catches Jess looking down at it with a smile. He leans over to press a kiss to her cheek and Jess leans into it without a second thought. It's domestic in the best of ways, that Jess loves him so much that it's become her natural instinct to do so.

The rest of their afternoon is spent lazing around on the couch, catching up on their shows in the background while they just enjoy being in each other's company. Nick's thoughts briefly drift over to where his briefcase is still sitting by the front door. Although he's no longer putting in the frankly insane hours he did while working for Meriwether, his job is still demanding of his time, and working on the weekend is the norm, not out of the ordinary. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to pull out the stack of background reading he needs to catch up on before Monday morning, just for a billable hour- two _ max _ . He slips his phone out of his pocket, and his thumb hovers over the tempting little app icon of his work email.

But no, today is for him and Jess, and he's not going to break his commitment to her. He's learned the hard way that he can't let work get in the way of his family. Of course, Jess is more understanding of his commitment to his job than Caroline was, but that's no excuse for him to completely neglect their relationship like he did in his first marriage. 

He opens up his messages instead, and smiles reflexively when he sees he has a new text from his daughter.

"Abbi says happy anniversary," he relays to Jess.

"Aww."

She's also attached one of her little meme-thingies, a cartoon version of herself carrying a huge box with a sign that says  _ All my love and support _ . "Oh, she included this too."

He turns the screen towards Jess and she sits up a little to see it better. "That's so cute. I love her little Bitmoji. Looks just like her."

Nick frowns, his brow furrowing. "Her what?" 

"It's a thing with the kids," Jess explains, waving off his confusion.

"Of course," Nick rolls his eyes. Now that his daughter is a bonafide high schooler he just can't seem to keep up with all the trends. He misses the days when all he needed to know about was what Disney princesses were her favorites, but then again he also got those mixed up half the time. At this point he's just made peace with the fact that he'll never be the cool kind of dad who's all hip with the kids. That's perfectly alright with him.

Jess settles back into the cushions and curls up closer to him, and Nick drapes his arm over her shoulders. There's a life insurance commercial playing on tv that's cheesily showcasing a young family walking through the park together, and his mind drifts to what Jess brought up while they were at the farmer's market. They've talked about it before, briefly while they were dating and then more seriously after they got engaged. He knows that Jess wants kids. She's always wanted a child of her own, it was just a matter of waiting for the right time and the right guy. And now that she's found the right guy (he still can't believe she thinks of him as the 'right guy') all that's left is to wait until the timing's right.

Jess has been a great step mother to Abbi, but Nick knows that she wants to have the whole experience of bringing a child into the world and raising it on her own. He just knows that Jess would be an incredible mother. She's kind and patient and sweet and genuinely one of the most loving people he's ever met. 

Nick already got to experience the joys of early fatherhood, so in a way he's already satisfied his desire to have a family of his own. And even now, he and Jess have been equally involved in the heartwarming and headache-inducing experience of raising a moody pre-teen. But he wants to be able to give Jess that same gift that he cherishes so much. Having Abbi was one of the most incredible and rewarding things that Nick has ever done, and he wouldn't trade that for the world. And even though he already has Abbi, there's still a desire to have a child with Jess and go through the whole process again. Even the thought of Jess' excitement over the course of her pregnancy and each milestone of their child's development is enough to bring a smile to his face.

He won't lie, there's a part of him that's anxious about embarking on this journey with her. Not unlike his first marriage, he made so many missteps when it came to raising his daughter, no matter how hard he tried to do the right thing. What if he doesn't learn from his mistakes and falls into the same traps all over again? How will Abbi and Caroline react to him starting a second family with Jess? Things are good among their extended family now, but it certainly wasn’t an easy road for them to get to this point. 

_ “I’ve had... the time of my life,” _ Jess quietly sings along as the iconic Dirty Dancing scene plays on the tv. In an instant, all of his fears disappear and he’s struck by just how much he truly loves her. No matter what happens to him, if Jess is there then he knows he’ll be alright. 

"What are you thinking about, Mr. Serious?" she jokingly asks him, fingers teasing over his lower stomach.

Nick thinks about telling her the truth, but his tongue gets tied up and he chickens out. "We should watch our wedding video," he suggests instead.

He hates seeing himself on video, but he'd do just about anything for the unabashed love that blooms over Jess' expression at the idea. And he has to admit, seeing the recorded version of her in that white dress takes him right back to their special day, the nervous butterflies churning in his stomach that immediately gave way joy and amazement of seeing her walk down the aisle, even more beautiful than he could've imagined. Nick would be a liar if said he didn't get a little teary-eyed at their vows and the sight of a slightly-younger version of him swaying along with Jess for their first dance.

Jess pauses the video suddenly, and Nick gets a bit worried until she swings into his lap to kiss him, lips slightly salty from a few stray tears. Nick cups her cheek and brushes them away with his thumb as he kisses her back, eyes drifting closed to focus on the taste of her mouth against his.

They make out on the couch like damn teenagers, until his jaw aches slightly and he feels dizzy with a lack of Oxygen. His hands slips under her blouse and slowly ruck it up underneath her armpits as he trails kisses down her neck. Jess leans back to tug it over her head before diving back in for a kiss as Nick's hands roam underneath her skirt to grope her ass.

Nick rolls his weight to pin her down to the couch, Jess already struggling for breath as he kisses down her chest and stomach, pushing her skirt up around her middle when it gets in his way. He drags her panties down with his teeth and then eats her out, one arm braced on her hips to pin her to the couch cushion and her hands buried in his hair as she gasps out breathy encouragements. 

She finishes with his name on her lips, and Nick finally comes up for air, mouth and chin slick and the taste of her lingering on his tongue. He grins cockily at her until she kisses the expression off his face before swinging her legs over the couch and getting on her knees, effectively punching all the wind out of his stomach with one sultry, knowing gaze as she tugs open his belt buckle.

\---

After a few hours of lazing around, Jess is itching to get out of the house. It's funny, because there's plenty of days at work where she would give up almost anything, even her entire yarn stash, just for a few moments of quiet. But of course, now that she finally has a moment to herself she just can't stand to sit around and enjoy it. Figures. What can she say? She's a busy body.

Thankfully for her sanity, they've planned more than just sandwiches and sex for their afternoon together, despite Nick's protests. And Jess will admit, there's something incredibly appealing about the idea, especially after his performance on the couch earlier. 

But then again, they've already made their appointment at the spa and if they don't show they'll get hit with a forty dollar cancellation fee. Schmidt and Cece gave them a voucher for a 'grand romance package' for Nick's birthday, which is absolutely Classic Schmidt. Except they've been so busy with the start of the school year and Nick's work that they haven't had a chance to cash it in yet.

Nick complains on the whole drive across town and sulks in the background as Jess checks them in at the front desk. "I don't like this," he says for the dozenth time, gesturing to the robe in his arms as they make their way to the changing rooms. "They get you to take off your clothes and trick you into being all relaxed and suddenly you're vulnerable and they're swinging at your head with a baseball bat."

"I think you have a very different idea of what a spa is for," Jess counters as she steps up to the door to the women's room. "Well, see you on the other side, partner."

"Don't let your guard down," Nick says with a seriousness she's not quite sure is real or a joke. Jess laughs anyways and pushes open the door. 

"Really?" she asks once they emerge from their respective changing rooms.

"What?" he counters indignantly.

Jess crosses her arms with a raised eyebrow and nods at the flannel collar of his shirt. "You're really going to wear your clothes under the robe?"

"It's just the top," he counters, as if that makes it any better. "No bottoms."

Jess' face crumples in distaste. "You're absurd."

"Yeah, well, you're the one who married me." Nick tightens the tie of his robe before giving himself a slap on each of his cheeks. "Let's get this over with."

The spa is absolutely  _ divine _ , and Jess can feel all of the annoyance and headaches of being the best principal in the world leak right out of her body. One couples massage, salt scrub, and green clay facial later, Nick has completely reversed his entire stance from earlier. He looks more relaxed than she's seen him in quite a while. All of the stress constantly bearing down on him seems to have lifted right off his shoulders, and Jess swears that he's standing at least an inch taller.

"You can say it," Jess teases him as they walk into the sauna, eucalyptus-scented towels draped around their necks. "I was right."

"Yeah, yeah," Nick grumbles as he plops down onto the wooden bench. "You don't have to rub it in."

Jess laughs as she settles down beside him. She breathes in the warm, steamy air and feels the knot between her shoulders loosen. "This is nice, though. Even better with you here."

Nick hums in agreement and settles back onto the bench. He stretches his arm out to rest it on her shoulders and Jess leans into it with a smile. They sit in a contented silence for a while, happy to just relax in each other's company. Jess is dimly aware that this is exactly what they were doing at home just a few hours prior, but she doesn't really mind. She thinks she could spend an eternity like this, just her and Nick together and stolen away from the chaos of the world.

"You know," he says, breaking the silence. "I think we should do it."

"Hmm?"

"Kids."

Jess sits up suddenly to look at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah." He grins at her. "You're right. We're on the same page, and the timing is right. Let's do it."

"Okay," Jess agrees, her mind whirling in overdrive as she tries to slot in all the pieces that go with this grand revelation. "So should we just... start trying, then?"

"Well probably not  _ here _ ," Nick jokes, and she laughs. He takes one of her hands in his, his thumb running over her knuckles. "We can talk about logistics and details later."

Jess nods in agreement. "Oh yeah, of course."

Nick grins at her. God, she loves his smile. "Jess, I-"

"Well, who let you two in here!" Schmidt says loudly, his voice echoing in the tiny room as he steps into the sauna at possibly the worst time ever. 

"Schmidt, who are-" Cece appears behind him and her eyebrows raise high on her forehead when she realizes who her husband is talking to. "Jess, Nick! What are you doing here?"

Jess quickly glances over to Nick. "Well, we were just celebrating our anniversary-"

"Is that today?" Schmidt says with a tone that completely betrays his supposed surprise. "Mazal tov!"

"Oh come on, Schmitty." Nick groans. "Really?"

Schmidt has the audacity to look taken aback. "I just wanted to treat my lovely wife to a relaxing day at my favorite spa. If you're implying that I gave you a gift certificate for the exact same spa for your birthday knowing full well that you would put off using it until the day it expired, which just so happens to be the day of your anniversary, and then proceeded to make an appointment on that exact same day just so I could run into you in the sauna, well sir, I would simply call you a crazy man."

Cece rolls her eyes and ushers her husband into the sauna. "Sorry for him."

"Oh, the more the merrier!" Jess says with a touch of forced politeness while Nick glares down his best friend.   

Despite the unforeseen interruption, the rest of the afternoon goes swimmingly, and it's actually really nice to spend some one on one time with their best friends. The two have been incredibly busy with their new baby Ruth, and it's refreshing to finally see them again. Even Nick overcomes his initial sourness and gets engaged in the conversation, his arm still resting on her shoulders while the other gesticulates wildly as he argues with Schmidt about his choice of spa attire.

Jess smiles at her three closest friends, and although this isn't exactly how she planned to spend her first wedding anniversary with her husband, she wouldn't have it any other way.

\---

They get home a few hours later, and Nick has to admit, the spa was way more relaxing and pleasurable than he could've expected. Of course, he would've very much preferred to not run into Schmidt while he was in the middle of an incredibly exciting and serious conversation with Jess, but it was still nice to catch up with the two of them. Nick swings open the door for Jess, who immediately freaks out when she sees what time it is.

"Oh my god, dinner! I nearly forgot!"

"Relax," Nick insists. Of course Jess would be able to undo an afternoon of pampering in just a few minutes by being slightly off schedule. "We still have time."

"Maybe  _ you _ do," she counters, making a beeline for their bedroom. "I have to get ready."

Nick huffs a laugh. "You look great."

"Oh hush," she counters as she walks into their closet and starts rifling through her seemingly endless rack of dresses. “Go on, I need to focus.”

He chuckles and shakes his head as he brushes past her to grab a suit and dress shirt from his side of their closet. “I’m going to change in my office,” he offers.

Jess hums distractedly as she fishes through one of the fabric-covered boxes arranged on the top shelf of the closet. Nick fights the urge to roll his eyes and instead presses a kiss to her cheek, which Jess graciously accepts before shooing him off. Nick laughs again, mostly to himself, and heads over to his office to change, stopping briefly to snag his cufflinks and a tie from his dresser drawer. 

They have nearly an hour and a half before they need to leave, which gives him nearly forty-five minutes to spare, even if he shaves  _ with _ shaving cream. Nick hangs his suit up in the closet of what once was his bedroom and is now his office. 

After the rest of their little gang moved out he and Jess took over the rest of the loft. What was once Schmidt's (and for a brief while, Cece's) room is now Jess' craft studio/creative dream space. Winston's room, now sans sexy space mural, is Abbi's bedroom, complete with multiple boy band posters, a plethora of stuffed animals, an alarm clock she routinely forgets to turn off when she's not staying with them, and a sign on the door that says "Abbi's Room: KEEP OUT!" The first half was handmade by Jess when they first turned Nick's old bedroom into a combined office/bedroom for when Abbi. The secondary addition was tacked on by Abbi several years later when her Dad accidentally walked in on her trying on nearly a dozen of Jess' bras, an incident that ended with Abbi locking herself in her room and refusing to come out. Jess and Nick had camped out on the floor for nearly an hour, trying to convince Abbi to come out until she finally admitted that she was stuck because she couldn't figure out how to undo all the different hooks.

Nick heads off to the bathroom where he runs into Jess, now dressed in a blue bathrobe and fussing with her eyelashes in the mirror. He gives her a smile, which she returns briefly before making that weird face she does whenever she puts her contacts in. He smiles to himself before leaning in to rinse his chin before lathering up with shaving cream. The running faucet and scraping sound of his razor provide a background track as Jess hums along to some melody in her head while she combs out her curls. 

It feels like a regular morning for them, and Nick yet again appreciates the domestic charm of their relationship. Sure, their frenzied honeymoon phase has long since sunsetted, but they’ve traded that out for something deeper and more meaningful, a real relationship where Jess is his best friend, his unconditional love, his future. He swears that he falls a little deeper in love with her each day, each and every version and facet of her complicated self. The side of her that she makes up to face the world, the side of her that she saves just for him, the side of her that she tries to hide from everyone. What she looks like all dressed up for a night with Cece’s model friends, what she looks like in the dim moonlight filtering through the window of their bedroom, what she looks like after a hard cry, with tears and snot running down her face as she hiccups for breath. He loves it all, because he loves her.

He finishes shaving and rinses his face off before patting on a splash of aftershave, and Jess teasingly nudges him with her elbow. “Ooh, fancy. Planning on getting lucky tonight, Miller?”

“Oh, I dunno, Day,” he plays along. “I’ve got a big date tonight. Kinda nervous.”

There’s a sparkle in Jess’ eye that tugs at something below his belt. “I’m sure you’ll be great.” She gives him a final wink before spinning on her heel and practically skipping out of the bathroom. Nick leans against the sink with a grin as she goes, wondering how on Earth he managed to get so lucky. 

It takes him all of five minutes to get dressed, and he grimaces at the way his suit seems to be about an inch tighter than he remembers. He shrugs on his coat and makes a mental note to ask Schmidt about that diet app he not-so-casually mentioned last January. Nick adjusts his cufflinks and checks the time, and he still has over half an hour to wait around for Jess. He relaxes into the couch with a sigh, eyeing the briefcase still sitting by the entryway. 

“Jess, honey! You’ve got thirty minutes!”

“Got it!”

Nick glances over at the briefcase again, and decides that thirty minutes while she finishes getting ready won’t hurt. He settles back onto the couch a moment later with the background reading in hand. The time blows by as he flips through the pages filled with dense legalese, trying to absorb as much as he can and ignore the fact that he has to hold the text a bit further away to actually be able to read it. He can practically hear Jess’ voice in his head telling him he needs reading glasses, almost as clear as he can hear Abbi’s voice calling him old. 

“You ready?” Jess asks, her heels clicking as she rounds the corner.

The case file drops to the floor as Nick takes her in, his mouth practically watering at the sight of her. Jess is wearing the reddish-purple dress from their first almost-date, and the three years since she last wore it have aged her like a fine wine. The velvety fabric clings to her hips, slinky and elegant, the neckline showcasing her breasts and the delicate lines of her collarbones. Her fair skin is a stark contrast to the dark fabric and the loose curls of her hair, which are just begging for him to run his fingers through before tearing that dress right off her. She looks incredible, and it’s taking all of his power not to cancel their reservation and just haul her into bed right now.

“Woah, Jess.” He whistles appreciatively. “You look great.”

Jess grins at him and throws in a little mini-curtsey for good measure. “Thanks. So do you.”

He just stares blankly at her for another long moment, and he’s like ninety percent sure he’s actually gone brain-dead because for the life of him he can’t seem to think about anything but how much he wants her. Jess laughs, bright enough to snap him somewhat out of his fantasy, and then hauls him up off the couch. “C’mon mister, we’ve got a reservation to make.”

The restaurant is the same one as their second almost-date, except this time with no awkward run in with his ex-wife to throw him through a loop. Dinner is excellent, not that he would expect anything less from the food or the company. They splurge on a bottle of wine, and after his third glass Nick feels young again: giddy and in love for the very first time, captivated by the flush of Jess’ cheeks and the smudge of her lipstick on the rim of her wine glass. Jess giggles at his jokes and he laughs along to her stories about school, and when the waiter asks about dessert Jess gives him this sultry look that makes his heart stop and stammer over his words when he asks for the check. 

They get back to the loft and Nick kisses her in the middle of the elevator, Jess almost equal to his height in her heels, but he still has to bend his knees a little to meet her lips. The elevator dings and they stumble into the hallway, tripping over each other’s feet since they refuse to break off the kiss for any more than a gasp for air. Nick pins her to the door of the loft and Jess kisses him frantically, hands threaded in his hair and moaning into his mouth when he presses his thigh between her legs. He feels like he’s back in high school, a little buzzed after some house party and making out with the hot girl of his dreams on her front porch, hoping that no one catches them. The thrill of it buzzes through his veins as he reluctantly breaks off the kiss to mouth at the slope of her neck. 

“Inside,” she gasps as he nips at her pulse point. “Inside, please, come on.”

Nick groans in agreement and continues to kiss down the column of her neck as Jess fishes around in her purse for her keys. He slides his hands around the backs of her thighs and hauls her up into his arms as she finally swings the door open, kicking it shut to slam behind them as he carries her inside. Jess kisses him again, wet and needy, as she shoves at the collar of his suit jacket until he finally gets the idea. He reluctantly drops her back to stand on her own as he throws off his jacket before rucking up her skirt like he’s been fantasizing about all night.

Jess tugs on his tie and he obediently follows her to their bedroom, where he discovers that what she has on underneath the dress is somehow even more impossibly sexy. He takes in the black lace lingerie with a groan, frantically kicking out of his pants and tugging his shirt over his head as Jess’ hands roam over his newly bare skin. 

“God, you’re incredible,” he whispers in her ear as Jess hovers over him, gloriously naked and practically dripping with want.

She leans in close to him, her floral-scented hair a dark curtain that closes just the two of them off in their own little world. Her lips press against his, a soft kiss that feels impossibly intimate. “I love you so much,” she whispers as she slowly lowers herself onto him, and Nick feels it like a punch to the chest, so fucking happy that he nearly can’t breathe.

They switch positions midway through, Nick rolling his weight to hover over Jess, his lips at the corner of her jaw and her legs wrapped around his hips as he fucks her deep. Nick tangles his fingers in her hair to give it a tug, and Jess lets out a shuddering moan.

“Fuck, Jess,” he moans, so close to coming he almost feels dizzy with it. “I wanna put a baby in you.”

Jess gasps sharply, fingernails digging into his shoulders as she clenches around him and comes. Nick follows close behind, just a few fast, erratic strokes before he topples into white bliss. 

After a long moment he finally blinks his eyes open and presses a kiss to Jess’ sweat-slick skin before inelegantly rolling off of her. He fumbles for their discarded bedsheet and pulls it over them before coaxing Jess to spoon up against him. She complies with a satisfied sigh, humming her approval at the kisses he drops onto her neck and shoulder. Jess reaches for his hand, threading their fingers together to rest them over her stomach. 

“So, we’re really doing this, huh?” she asks, half-joking, half-serious.

“Yeah,” he murmurs, confidence swelling as he says it out loud. This feels right, and the more he looks at Jess the more he knows it to be the truth. He pulls her tighter into him and knows without a doubt that this is what he wants. “Let’s make a family together.”

**Author's Note:**

> check me out on [tumblr!](http://actualbabe.tumblr.com)


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